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t e e h S m e e h S 2 D E R D Y Dn... 0 nr J. m. d 0 M o W APPARATUS FOR TORREFYING GRA'N, 8m.

Y I? A Patented May 17, 1887.

N. PETERS, Phnto-Lillwgnphur, Washington, DA C.

(N0 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.v J. FORDRED.

` APPARATUS POR TORREFYING GRAIN, Aw. No. 363,057@ Patentsd. May 17, 1887.6"

llNrTnn STATES AJTnNT risica.

JOHN FORDRED, OF TOTTENHAM, CQUN'lYOF MllDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR TORREFYING GRAIN, dac.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,057, dated May 1'7, 1887.

Application tiled September 7, 1886. Serial No. 212,956. (No model.) Patented in England December 28, 1383, No. 5,890.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J oHN Fonnniin, of Tot tenhain, in the county of Middlesex, England, technical chemist, have invented Improvements in the Construction of Apparatus for Torrefying Grain and otherSeeds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel arrangement of torreiying apparatus for preparing 'barley and other cereals in an economical manner suitable for the use of brewers, distillers, and vinegar-makers according to an invention described in a specification for which Letters Patent are sought concurrently with the presentapplication.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of my improved torrefying apparatus,consisting of a horizontal rotary cylinder inclosed in a jacketed casing and furnished with a gas-heating apparatus. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the left-hand or feeding end, and Fig. 3 an elevation of the righthand or delivery end of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the saine, taken in the linel 2 of Fig. l, and Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken in the line 3 et of Fig. 1. Fig. 5* represents a transverse sectional view of a portion ofthe rotary cylinder, which will be hereinafter more particularly described. Fig. 6 represents a longitudinal vertical section of the gas burner employed for heating the apparatus, Fig. 7 exhibits a transverse section and a longitudi nal section, illustrating a modification of the rotary cylinder. Fig. S represents a transverse section, on a larger scale, of a portion of the rotary cylinder shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a top view of the apparatus, the feeding-hopper only being omitted. Fig. 10 is a trans verse vertical sectional view of the principal parts of the machine on a scale much larger than the other figures.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

A A* are a pair of standards connected to! gether by longitudinal tie-rods and carrying the fittings for the rotary torrefying-eylinder B. This. cylinder, which7 as designed, has a casting A.

serve to carry the metal sheets forming the periphery of the cylinder, but act as propel- 1ers of the grain submitted to the torrefying process. The feeding end of the cylinder is `closed by a 4circular plate, B2, which is cast with a hollow boss at its center to receive the axle of the cylinder and is dish-shaped on its inner face and cored outon its periphery to forni a'passage intothe cylinder for the grain to be treated. This end plate iits within a circular iiange projecting from a casting, A, which is bolted to the standard A. In the upper part of this casting is a neck, c, corresponding in cross-section With the cored-out passage in the end plate, B2, and upon this neck is iitted a hopper, G, for supplying the grain to the eylinderas the cylinder in its rotation brings the supply-passage of the plate BZ into coincidence with the neck c. This neck is .provided with a slide, c, for regulating the supply of the grain from the hopper C.

c2 is a bracket-pieee fixed to the hopper G and slotted longitudinally to receive a bolt, c, which is screwed into the slide c and serves to holdit in position.

c4 is a set-screw tapped into the neck c and serving to secure the slide in position when it has been adjusted. By this means the attend ant is enabled to regulate with exaetness the feed of the grain to the cylinder.

The delivery end ofthe cylinder B is open, and it projects through an annular casting, A2, bolted to the standard A* at the right-hand end of the machine and overlies a deliverychute, d. This open end of the cylinder l' cover with a cap or shield set up facing the end of the cylinder and carried by the chute or other convenient fixed portion of the apparatus. This insures the delivery of the torrelied grain i'uto the chute. The axle at the delivery end of the .cylinder turns in a bearing carried by an open bracket bolted to the standard Ait. At its other end this axle turns in a bearing carried by a bracket bolted to the At the feeding end of the cylinder the radial blades are by preference set at an angle, the pitch being some twelve or fourteen inches, for the purpose of leading forward the grain as it is delivered tothe cylinder from the hopper. Each ring consists of six radial IOC) of each ring stand opposite the spaces of the next adjacent ring, as shown in the cross-sec tion, Fig. 5. The blades are severally. screwed into the axle B, and theyare provided with lock-nuts for securing them in place when properly adjusted.

It will in general suffice to give to the .first three rings of blades an inclination or pitch, the remainder being set with their flat sides in line with the aXle-a position which insures a uniform rate of travel to the grain through the cylinder. I avail myself of a longitudinal row of these blades bi to secure in place the sheets of metal b forming the removable periphery of the cylinder, and for this purpose, in the line where the longitudinal lap of the metal sheets.

occurs, I form the blades with a broad end for the lappingsheet metal to bed upon, as shown at Fig. 5*, and I drill and tap the ends of this row of blades to receive screws b2, which pass through holes in the lapped edges of the sheet metal,and, entering the tapped holes,secure the sheets firmly in place. In this way I not only secure the longitudinal joining of lthe metal forming the periphery of the cylinder, but provide a facile means of access to the interior of the cylinder B, for the purpose of clearing the same of any charred grains that may adhere tothe blades.

As the length of the cylinder will measure some eight feet, several breadths of sheet metal will be required to complete the cylinder. In applying these sheets I so arrange the lapjoints that they will present no obstruction to the traveling grain.

The cylinder B is inclosed in a jacketed i wrought-iron cylindrical casing packed with filamentary asbestus or. with silicate cotton, for the purpose of retaining the heat generated by the burners, to be presently described. This casing is made in two parts, D D', the part D being fixed to the castings A and A2, and the part D being hinged to the standards A A", for the purpose of getting access to the cylinder, as indicated by dots at Fig. 2. This casing presents a longitudinal opening at bottom to allow the flame of the gas-burners E E' to play upon and around the cylinder B. The abutting edges of the upper part of the casing are rabbeted to form longitudinal slots, as at d d, and these slots are fitted, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, with damper-valves d2, for the purpose of regulating draft, and consequently the temperature within the casing. When the casing is closed, the hinged portion D is secured by hasps to the fixed portion.

Underlying the bottom opening in the casing and extending from end to end of the machine is a metal flanged table, F, which is intended to receive the gasburners E E and hold them to the required height below the.

rotary cylinder B, their distance therefrom being made variable to suit the work in hand. This metal flanged table slides in guides formed for it in a pair of forked plates, F', bolted, respectively, to the standards A Ail, as shown in Fig. 10. Pivoted to lugs cast on the face of these plates is a pair of bell-crank levers, f, the horizontal larms of which are connected by metal straps f to the under s ide of the table. The pendent arms of the bellcrank levers areeach cast with a forked eX- tremity to receive a nut, f2, which is pivoted thereto to leave it free to rock in its support. Through these nuts passes a right and left handed screw-rod,f3, which projects through the plates F', and is fitted with collars near its ends to prevent it moving endwise. One end of this rod projects through the standard A* and is squared to receivea hand-wheel, by turning which the hanged table F may be adjusted vertically to suit the requirements of the work in hand and to afford access to the wiregauze of the gasburner for the purpose of freeing it from dust, &c. whenever necessary.

The construction of the gasburner used, which is somewhat peculiar, is best illustrated in the detached sectional view, Fig. 6, which represents the burner as consisting of an iron tube, e, of, say, five inches in diameter and of about five feet six inches in length, provided with a longitudinal slot, e', through its upper side some three feet nine inches in length and two inches wide. Both ends of this tube are closed, and its outer `end, which const-itutes a mixing-chamber, is fitted with a gasjet, c2, set concentrically in the :end of the tube and having a bore some three-eighths of an inch in diameter, Immediately below this jet an opening, e3, is made in the tube for the admission of ,air thereto, and this opening is protected by a shield or wind-guard, et. Thus the air and gas commingle and fill the mixingchamber preparatory to entering the slotted portion of the tube.

The longitudinal slot c is covered by a strip of iron-wire gauze of, say, forty meshes to the inch, for producing a lambent flame. The gas-cock carries a circular plate, e5, which may be graduated, for indicating, by the aid of a fixed pointer, c, as the cock is turned, the rate of supply of gas admitted to the burner. This construction of burner insures an equable and regular supply of the mixed gas and air throughout the whole length of the slot andthe consequent maintenance of any determined degree of heat.

The machine, it will be seen at Fig. l, is fitted with two burners such as that just described, setend to end on the adjustable flanged table F, each receiving its own supply of the mixed gases, which, issuing through the wiregauze covering the narrow longitudinal slot,

ICO

together give, when united, a smokeless flame extending nearly from end to end of the cylinder B.

A modification of the manner of securing the sheets b in place is shown in the detached views, Figs. 7 and 8, the latter being drawn on an enlarged scale. In these figures it will be seen that, instead of employing the screws b2 for securing the longitudinal lap, I use a clamping device consisting of two strips of understood that I am enabled to control theaetion of my improved torrefying apparatus by three distinct means-namely, iirst, by varying the rate of feed to the rotating cylinder; second, by adjusting the speed of r0tation of the cylinder, which may be done by shifting the driving-belt from one to another of a series of pulleys, p 11'192, Fig. 9, of different sizes, on the shaft B', third, by regulating the amount of gas consumed by the burners. lVhen these several means of control are properly adjusted to suit the grain under treatment, the apparatus may be run steadily for a series ofhours with little or no attention from the attendant, his duty being merely to reduce the gasflame so soon as the full temperature desired in the apparatus is reached, which fact is determined by-an examination ofthe grain delivered fromV the chute. This temperate will be about 600 Fahrenheit, and the'grain as it leaves the cylinder will have a temperature of some 70o to 2800- Fahrenheit.

In operating upon barley with the torrefying apparatus I give to the cylinder by pref erence fifty rotations per minute, which is the speed that insures the most efficient distribution of the grain in the cylinder and the delivery of the torreted grain therefrom. The cylinder I supply with the grain at the rate of from eight to twelve bushels per hour. rlhis insures the exposure of each corn to the action of the heat from one to three minutes, according to the length of the machine, after which it is discharged from the cylinder onto the chute in a proper]y-torreiied state.

The rate of consumption of the gas per burner for maintaining an efficient heat will range between two and a half and three anda halt' cubic feet per minute.

The above proportions, although applying to the treatment of barley only, form a fair index of the adjustment required from the attendant to suit grain of greater or less size.

By the use et' this apparatus a uniform action of the heat on the grain is secured and the torrefaction is under perfect control.

As a guide to the attendant when torrefying barley, I may state that if the torrefaction has been properly performed the barley, after passing through the apparatus, Will present a very abnormal appearance,being much swollen or burst, and will, unlike raw barley, whlch sinks in water, float, like malt, when thrown upon it.

Having now explained the nature of my 1nvention, I Wish it to be understood that I claiml. A torrefying apparatus for grain or seeds, consisting of a rotary metal cylinder formed With inlet and outlet openings for the grain to be treated and provided internally with radial arms, such cylinder being inclosed in a j acketcasing which is open at bottom for the admission of' a sheet .of ame obtained from gasburners underlying the casing and vertically adj ustablein respect thereto, such casing having ay hinged portion for providing aceessto the cylinder, and an opening at top :titted W1th a damper extending the length of the casing for regulating the heat within the casing.

2. The combination, in the torrefying-cylinder, of a central axle or shaft, radial arms attached to said axle, a removable periphery of sheet metal having a longitudinal joint, and means, substantiall y as herein described, of securing the said joint, but permitting the opening and removal of the periphery.

3. In combination with the rotary cylinder inclosed in a jacketcasing and having an opening at tcp and bottom to facilitate the circulation of heat therein, gas-burners extending the whole length of the easing and supplying a lambent iiame thereto, such gas-burners hav* ing a shielded lateral opening fer the admission of air and a central jet for the :admission of gas, with a mixing-chamber in line with that portion of the burner through which the mixed gas and air pass to be consumed.

JOHN FORDRED.

lVitnesscs:

H. K. WHITE, A. S. Bisi-IOP,

6 Breams Buildings, London, E. C. 

